Final Fantasy VII: Immortality
by Final Fantasy Kyosuke
Summary: Continuing from where the game ended, Cloud, Tifa, and all the others are about to embark on an epic journey. Where? No-one knows yet. (Progressing, shall be done in time. Check back frequently! R/R!)
1. Prologue

Final Fantasy VII - Immortality  
  
-Prologue-  
  
"It has been said that everything in the universe is fundamentally composed of energy. What we think of as matter is really nothing more than a certain type of energy. And since energy cannot be created or destroyed but merely transferred, some speculate that living beings never truly die. Their life energy is simply returned to the universe in its simplest form."  
  
Tifa stretched her hand out towards Cloud, who was perched on a narrow ledge on a cliff of the Northern Crater, where a valiant fight had just taken place. Massively large boulders and debris were falling from above, the walls around Tifa crumbling. The Planet let out a scream as Cloud jumped up towards Tifa. She reached out, grabbing him by his arm, but the perspiration from her body was far too slick for Cloud to grasp onto. He fell down towards the Mako pool below, but instantly something clicked. He turned around, grasping a small rock ledge. The platform Tifa was standing on crumbled as well. She fell downwards towards the massive sea of green Mako. Cloud jumped. With lightning speed, he fell - grabbing Tifa in his arms. They rolled onto a larger ledge, Tifa holding tightly onto Cloud.  
  
"...I think I'm beginning to understand," said Cloud.  
  
Tifa looked up at him.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
She held on tighter and leaned her head against his chest.  
  
"An answer from the Planet...the Promised Land...I think I can meet her... there," Cloud said.  
  
Tifa looked up at him once more, then closed her eyes and leaned her head back down.  
  
"Yeah, let's go meet her," she spoke.  
  
Cloud began to pull the two of them up to the ledge. The Mako pool began to glow white, shifting colors. Cloud and Tifa made their way up and sat down. Cloud looked at her.  
  
"Hey, where is everyone?" she asked.  
  
Cait Sith, Barret, Cid, and Red XIII were reclining on another ledge across the crater. Barret looked up and waved.  
  
"Heeeey!" Tifa yelled and happily waved to them.  
  
"I'm glad you're all safe!" she said.  
  
Barret looked at Cid.  
  
"They all seem to be safe, too. But... now what're we going to do?" Barret said.  
  
He looked out across the crater. Red XIII rose to his feet.  
  
"Holy should be moving soon, and that means this place will..." started Red.  
  
Cid stood and looked up out of the crater.  
  
"Oh, Lady Luck don't fail me now..." he muttered.  
  
He gaped and his cigarette fell from his mouth. Cloud and Tifa, then the rest of the party followed suit and looked up to see the Highwind coming crashing down. It shot nose-first into the crater, crashing into the walls and dislodging more rocks and debris before finally coming to a stop, wedged between the stone walls, the bikini-clad woman painted on the side still winking and smiling blankly.  
  
The Mako inside the crater glowed, grew, and exploded from the crater, which sent a circle of energy outwards as it blasted skyward in a perfect white column. The force of the explosion propelled the Highwind out of the crater, which was spinning wildly. The party was sliding this way and that and struggling to hold on to the railing as the ship flipped in the air. Cid caught hold of a steel pipe bolted to the floor.  
  
"Shit!!" he screamed.  
  
He pulled himself up and stretched to reach a lever marked 'Emergency.' He pulled it and the Highwind transforms again into a sleek craft resembling a jet plane. With the extra control, the ship rolled out of the Mako explosion and screamed off toward the horizon.  
  
Now in the sky, the Highwind continued to circle at a safe distance from Midgar. The party, assembled on the bridge, watched the destruction through the bay window. Cloud and Tifa stood together near the panel. Barret came over and stood behind them.  
  
"Wait a damn minute!" he yelled.  
  
He looked over at the rest of the group.  
  
"What's going to happen to Midgar?" he asked.  
  
He slammed his fist down.  
  
"We can't let that happen!" he yelled.  
  
Cait Sith began to gesture frantically.  
  
"I had everyone take refuge in the slums, but the way things are now..." she began.  
  
Red XIII came forward.  
  
"It's too late for Holy. Meteor is approaching the Planet," he began, "Holy is having the opposite effect."  
  
"Forget Midgar, we've gotta worry about the Planet" he finished.  
  
The Highwind continued to circle. Cid was working frantically at the control panel. Cloud was sitting on the railing in front of the window, his back was to the destruction outside, as Tifa continued to watch fearfully. Cloud looked at her as her eyed widened.  
  
"What's that!?" she exclaimed.  
  
A tiny pinprick of green light was visible in one dark moor on the side of the East Continent. The green light grew and one bright tendril of the Lifestream wormed its way out from the ground. A large hole opened in the ground around the stream, which revealed the Lifestream boiling just below the surface, one thread escaped into the air at a time.  
  
Another strand of the Lifestream was emanating from the ground curving gracefully in Midgar's direction. It shifted again. Two more. They grew. Then three. Then four. Then five.  
  
Cloud, Tifa, and Barret were gripping the railing at the very front of the bridge, watching with wonder as more and more arms of green burrowed out from the ground.  
  
"What the hell IS that......?" yelled Barret.  
  
Cloud showed an empty expression on his face.  
  
"...Lifestream," he answered quietly.  
  
The Lifestream emanated in three more spots, twisting together as they moved along the ground. Back in Kalm village, a light came on in one window, then another opened, and another. Within moments, every soul in Kalm was leaning out one window or another, watching silently.  
  
"It's coming," said Marlene from the tallest house.  
  
The Lifestream continued to rush from the earth. It was streaming from nearly every spot on the ground now, which turned the earth into a massive pool of green. Midgar continued to crumble.  
  
A tidal wave of green closed in on the city, arms of Lifestream were swaying and undulating gracefully, marching along. The air was nearly a solid mass of green.  
  
The power of Lifestream and Holy combined radiated a giant bright light. Everyone closed their eyes as Meteor shattered.  
  
*** The engines of the Highwind rumbled loudly, the boosters surging with energy behind the clan. Cloud's eyes opened, and he blinked a few times. Loud footsteps echoed from the hall to his left.  
  
The metal door slid open, and in came Cloud's childhood friend - Tifa Lockheart. She smiled, noticing that he was up, and approached him slowly; sitting down on the mattress he was on. He looked into her eyes, and she looked into his. They both smiled at each other, and Tifa began to speak.  
  
"Hey Cloud," she stuttered, "Thanks for. saving me back there".  
  
Cloud nodded. "No problem. I owe you from before, you know. You. did help me find myself". Cloud shrugged, lying back down in the bed.  
  
Tifa leaned over top of Cloud, kissing him on the forehead.  
  
"Rest up, Cloud. We've got a long journey ahead of us. Sephiroth wasn't the only Jenova, y'know," Tifa said.  
  
Cloud cringed. Jenova. The one thing he hated. Jenova. The single thing that caused him all of his troubled. Jenova. The devil herself. Reincarnated by a mad scientist, and distributed about by an even madder one. Jenova.  
  
Cloud's eyes slowly began closing. As his eyelids closed together, and Cloud drifted out of consciousness, Tifa bent over and kissed him once more; someday dreaming that she and Cloud could be together as they are in her dreams. Tifa just wanted a mere relationship with Cloud that could last. Something to remember. But she knew it would never happen, for Cloud had the eyes of Mako. He had the eyes of SOLDIER. 


	2. Chapter 1

Final Fantasy VII - Immortality  
  
-Chapter One-  
  
Cloud awakened the next day, once more to the Highwind's loud blasters. He glanced out the small window beside him, into the main area of the ship, nicknamed the lobby. He expected to see Yuffie, the paranoid woman obsessed with materia, but he saw nothing. He checked his pockets, pouches, and whatnot. Everything was still there. He stood up and walked over to a small dresser, which was chained to the ground, just in case. He looked himself in the eye through a dusty mirror and grinned, noticing that the small locket around his neck still remained. He removed it and opened it with the utmost care, looking inside. Cloud sighed with relief, seeing that his picture of Tifa from back in the day still remained. She smiled, with deep auburn hair, before a beautiful deep blue waterfall, which made the perfect picture. Cloud smiled, attaching the necklace around his neck.  
  
Cloud exited the small room of the Highwind, and entered the so- called lobby. Things were as they were the last time he was on the ship. He headed towards a staircase, which lead to the 'balcony' of the Highwind. Cloud climbed the metal staircase slowly, still recovering from his battle wounds, coincided with the minor case of Mako poisoning from before. As his footsteps made the clanking noise down the walkway, he approached the door. On command, it opened, and Cloud was exposed to the beauty of the mainland once more.  
  
Looking over the large steel railing, Cloud saw a thick patch of forest. He smiled, remembering the sweet innocent flower girl, known by the name of Aeris Gainsborough. The wind was blowing in Cloud's face, sending his hair in many directions. Then, it struck him--total déjà vu. He remembered it all so clearly. Just before meeting her demise, Cloud remembered chasing Aeris through a gloomy forest. Trees were everywhere, and it was an eerie place to be. Since then, every large patch of forest reminded him of that fateful day. On that day, Aeris Gainsborough, Cloud's flower selling friend, perished from the living world.  
  
The metal door slid open, and out came the lord of darkness-Vincent Valentine. He approached Cloud without saying a word, and leaned against the railing just as Cloud was. He sighed.  
  
"Cloud, you okay? You look a little depressed," Vincent asked.  
  
Cloud struggled to speak, "I'm fine."  
  
Vincent shrugged. "You should rest."  
  
Cloud replied, "I just woke up."  
  
Vincent shrugged and walked away quietly, deciding that it was best to leave Cloud alone. He wiped a tear of Cloud's off his cloak, and entered the Highwind. He sighed, becoming worried about his comrade. 


	3. Chapter 2

Final Fantasy VII - Immortality  
  
-Chapter 2-  
  
Cloud fell into a deep sleep.  
  
-*~Dream Sequence Begin~*-  
  
Cloud's mind turned into a tornado of color. Reds, greens, blues, everything! When he came back to his senses, nothing seemed quite right. Visions of Nibelheim, his hometown, crowded his mind. People burning like paper in a fireplace; his house, one among others burning down; and he could do nothing. He remembered Tifa, who is miraculously at his side, screaming for help. Cloud was frozen to the ground, stuck like a broken down car. He was like a doll, and the master didn't play with him anymore. A child's toy - lost in the ruins of defeat. Frozen. defeated.  
  
Cloud screamed loudly as even more visions crowded his mind. The aching from the flames disappeared, and he was in the atmosphere of war. Shinra vs. Avalanche - a classic battle. This was when Aeris was kidnapped. Cloud remembered Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. He remembered their last words on the Sector 7 pillar.  
  
Biggs - "...don't worry 'bout me.... Barret's... fighting up there. Go help him...."  
  
Jessie - "Because of our actions... many....... people died...... this probably.... is our punishment....."  
  
Wedge - ".......Cloud...... You remembered..... my name." "Barret's up top. ...help him......." "An' Cloud.... Sorry, I wasn't any help."  
  
-*~Dream Sequence End~*-  
  
Cloud sprang up out of bed, panting heavily. Perspiration ran down his face, and tears ran from his eyes. Putting on his belt and other meaningless battle attire, Cloud rushed out the door. He ran up the hallway and slammed open Tifa's door, checking to be sure she was all right. He jumped onto her bed beside her and held her in his arms, sobbing against her soft skin.  
  
Mumbling while she awakened, she said, "Cloud... What's wrong with you?".  
  
Cloud stopped sobbing for a moment and said, "You...You were burning in Nibelheim again."  
  
Tifa sighed, and closed her eyes again, feeling relaxed that Cloud was there with her. She felt him kiss her neck softly, and then kiss her just behind her ear. She put a smile on her face and fell asleep, as did Cloud in the next few moments. Tifa had always wanted someone who appreciated her for who she was, not what she had. She hoped Cloud was that one. They both needed their rest, because that very morning something very shocking was to come. 


	4. Chapter 3

Final Fantasy VII - Immortality  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Kyosuke's soft footsteps echoed down the school's hallways as he headed for his room. Finally, his last class of the day was over and he could go hang out with all of his friends. He left the main corridor and entered the hallway to the dormitory areas, looking for room D13. Kyo was a good student in school, and he usually did pretty well. Around this time of year though, he always seemed to suffer the most, mainly because it's when all the parties went on. He was a real smart guy, but he was easily attracted to a good party.  
  
Kyosuke continued down the hallway, passing a security guard on his right. He waved, muttering "Tski oni agake," or in English, "Suffer under the moonlight." If there was one thing he hated, justice was it. Ever since the Shin-Ra Corporation regrouped and returned to normal, he had such a cold hatred for any sort of government official. Shin-Ra, now run by the infamous President Matsumutu, began getting on his nerves. After hearing the news about Cloud Strife and Weapon, and how Rufus was killed, Kyosuke grew happy. A mere day later, Shin-Ra was back in business, which really pissed him off.  
  
Opening the newspaper he had received from one of his friends, he read the top headline. "-=Shin-Ra Opens Up Experiment and Attempts to Re-Create an Ancient=-". He chuckled at the utter insanity of the whole situation. Shin-Ra and Ancients once more, how pathetic-He thought. He walked by a trash can, shoving the paper deep inside it.  
  
Unlocking and opening his door, Kyosuke stepped inside his room. He looked around, finally back home once again. He walked over to his bookcase and laid a small golden locket down on one of its shelves. Removing his trench coat and hanging it on the door, Kyo sat down on his couch, flipping on the TV. He flipped through multiple channels, only getting the basics. Shin- Ra, Shin-Ra, Shin-Ra, Shin-Ra, and Shin-Ra. He sighed, wondering where all the GOOD TV shows went. Kyosuke flipped off the TV and jumped over the couch, landing on his brand-new bed. He stared out his small sunroof into the sky.  
  
From below, Kyosuke saw a blue streak of light fly across the sky. Thinking it was a shooting star, he made a wish. All Kyo ever wanted, was this one special girl named Kaoru. He had loved her ever since the day he set eyes on her, but she never responded. All of his attempts failed. Nothing worked on this girl. He shrugged, reaching for his book, which was beside him. "Page 301: Stryfe _____ - Shin-Ra Project 333X96".  
  
Somehow, Kyosuke got his hands on a Shin-Ra file, and began reading it every night. The excerpt about Stryfe seemed to be a biography, in a sense. He began reading.  
  
-*~Stryfe's Early Childhood to Present Times~*-  
  
*On a dark moonlit night of August in the Sector 3 Slums of Midgar, a boy named Stryfe was born about a day after the war between Shinra and AVALANCHE. Covered in blood, he was put into a tram and taken away from his mother, who was killed because of her strange powers. Stryfe was then put into a top secret Shinra project and made what was known as "Sage", a person similar to the Ancients but more unique and powerful. Since day one, Stryfe was tested for disease, strength, speed, and even powers unrecalled by the human race. This has gone on for years. By the age of 13, Stryfe's so called "powers" have developed faster then they should've from Mako energy being put into his blood stream. Stryfe became insane and broke from his Mako chamber and tried to escape. Many tries have been made, and all have failed. When the day of Meteor had been summoned came, Stryfe had an advantage to leave his horrible life. This time, as stealthily as possible, he escaped into the Slums of Midgar. With barely any clothes, Stryfe ran to a local shop for some goods. When he reached the store, the clerks were horrified beyond belief. From being insulted, Stryfe's eyes began to glow dark red as a huge explosion began to echo through the allies of the Sector. Everyone died except Stryfe. Stryfe walked slowly out from the crater with a set of black clothes. He then found an abandoned facility actually owned by the Shinra Company for storage. Keeping his guard up every second of his life to live, Stryfe walked through the streets and slums of Midgar looking for work or bounties. He sleeps in his little corner-His so-called home.  
  
*-(Kudos to the real Stryfe, who actually wrote this excerpt!) 


	5. Chapter 4

Final Fantasy VII - Immortality  
  
-Chapter 4-  
  
The Highwind hovered quietly just to the south of Cloud's hometown. Nibelheim drew nearer, but only Cid knew why they were going there. Cloud returned to the balcony and stared his hometown in the eye. At one point, that was where he and Zack escaped and fled from the Shin-Ra. Ever since the whole "Sephiroth Project", Cloud had hated Shin-Ra with deep animosity. Nibelheim had brought him to remember a bunch of old things, such as his childhood infatuation over Tifa. He never knew why the feelings stopped, but he figured that it was just the Sephiroth Project. Since then, he's never loved again, just surprisingly had feelings.  
  
Cloud fell to his knees, clenching his forehead strongly. Vivid colors flashed through his mind once more, and the words of Sephiroth and himself passed through his head.  
  
"Of course! Who do you think I am!?" yelled Cloud furiously "Ha, ha, ha...... Stop acting as if you were sad. There's no need to act as though you're angry either," replied Sephiroth. "Because, Cloud. You are...." Sephiroth began. "Because, you are...... a puppet" he finished.  
  
Cloud awoke looking into the sky. The door slid open and Tifa ran out with his Buster Sword in hand-He had no idea where all of his other weapons had gotten off to. Tifa nearly tripped dashing towards Cloud. She handed him the sword and ordered him to come on.  
  
"Cloud!!! Hurry up, Cid and Vincent are under attack!!!"  
  
"Whuh?! I'll follow ya'!"  
  
They jetted out of the balcony area and into the lobby of the ship. Looking over the railing, the two men were fighting for their lives against two living zombies, known as Crimson Undeads. Cloud watched Vincent fire a few rounds, piercing one of the zombies straight through the heart. Blood and rotting flesh splattered on the nearby crates and boxes, but the thing still stood. The other latched onto Cid's neck and began draining him of his blood. Cid, out of desperation, clenched his fist and shoved it through the beast, knocking it onto the floor. Cloud placed his boot on the railing and jumped over, swinging his sword in a downward thrust.  
  
"BRAVER!" he screamed.  
  
His sword came down, cutting the zombie attacking Vincent in two. He backed up a few steps and grinned at Vincent. They looked at the corpses. They shrieked, as the cadavers missing parts formed together, like magnets. They stood up and screamed a shrill scream. Cloud nodded at Vincent, Vincent nodded at Cid, and Cid nodded at Tifa.  
  
"BOLT!" Cloud screamed. "FIRE!" Cid screamed. "EARTH!" Tifa chanted.  
  
Vincent grinned.  
  
"HADES!" he screamed. From within the palm of his hand, an odd looking monster appeared, floating over to the zombies. Cloud's attack was the first to hit. Bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, sending jolts of electricity through the zombies' limp bodies. Fire erupted from the ground under both of them, burning them just like the Hell they were going to after this fight. Shards of rock lifted into the air, Tifa directing them to land on the mangled corpses. Piercing them harshly, they fell to the ground. Vincent let Hades do his work, and finished off the battle.  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for saving me," Vincent muttered.  
  
"Lucky I was there to save you guys," Cid said with a sweat drop running down his forehead.  
  
"Yeah. Whatever." Cloud uttered, looking over to Tifa assuring that she was okay.  
  
"I'm fine, Cloud."  
  
Tifa grabbed Cloud's hand and walked him up the stairs to the balcony, where they hung out so much. The door slid open as they walked through, and slid closed behind them. Tifa looked Cloud in his icy blue eyes and smiled, a tear of joy running down her cheek.  
  
"I'm so glad you're okay, Cloud," she struggled to say.  
  
Cloud nodded and leaned over to Tifa, pressing his lips to hers for a few seconds. Tifa pulled back a slight bit, finishing the kiss. Cloud grabbed her around her waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Cloud.. I hope nothing ever happens to you," Tifa said, crying.  
  
"I don't want to lose you either, Tifa. You helped me find myself. You helped me find that I am Cloud Strife, not Zack. You helped me stay alive, and I love you for that," Cloud said boldly.  
  
Tifa looked up to him with her mouth wide open, "R..really?".  
  
Cloud nodded, his hair blowing in the wind. The Highwind started moving again, but they didn't know where to. Cloud picked up his PHS and messaged Cid.  
  
"Where we goin'?" he asked. "Midgar, you know the place. We're going to check out some unusual cases of high Mako levels around, and the suspicion about that Stryfe guy, you know-the Shin-Ra experiment child?" Cid replied.  
  
"Yeah, the Ancient Sage thing," Cloud said.  
  
Vincent nodded from where he was and told Cloud and Tifa to get inside. They did so, and the Highwind sped up towards Midgar. He knew this would be part of a huge journey. 


	6. Chapter 5

Final Fantasy VII - Immortality  
  
Chapter 5  
  
The Highwind's engines stalled, and they managed to land just outside of Nibelheim. The party exited off of the balcony, and entered the depressing town. Many people walked around, with glum faces worn clearly. Cloud sighed.  
  
"Dammit, something always has to go wrong!" he exclaimed.  
  
"No kidding," Barret muttered under his breath.  
  
They began walking towards Tifa's house. Tifa stepped up in front of everyone and walked up to the door. She slowly pushed open the wooden door and walked in. Everyone followed. Cloud was particularly interested - everything seemed the same to him. He walked into the kitchen to start. He gazed around at the furnaces in the back, the table in the middle, and a refrigerator and a freezer. It was all the same as it was last time he was here. No one had entered this house since he was last there. Scary thought. He exited and went upstairs. Remembering that there were two rooms, he decided to go into the one he was less familiar with. He saw two beds, a dresser, and some pictures on the wall. He was still tired from the day before, so he walked to the closer bed and took a nap. Everyone else except Barret and Tifa fell asleep eventually.  
  
"Barret, I want to ask you something," Tifa said.  
  
"Shoot," he said back to her.  
  
"Do you think Cloud is going to die soon.?" she asked with sincerity.  
  
"Everyone dies eventually," he solemnly replied.  
  
"But. what if he's. well. special?" she said.  
  
Barret looked confused and didn't say a word.  
  
"Wha?" he said with an odd look.  
  
"Nothing." she uttered.  
  
After a few minutes of silence, they both drifted to sleep. As usual, Cloud was the first to wake up. He walked around the room and quietly stepped into the hallway. He entered Tifa's room and noticed a small chest. He opened it up and found papers inside. He picked up one to look at it. It said:  
  
Tifa- What's happened to our town? Was it an illusion, or just a dream? No, it was neither. I remember trying to get people out of the flames, but not having the strength. Burning with anger, I went to the reactor to kill Sephiroth. But he was nowhere to be found. Instead, I found you, collapsed inside. I felt saving you was far more important than going after Sephiroth. There were several others that were still alive inside, but I was only interested in saving you. As I was coming out of the reactor, Shinra troops were just arriving. I recall a scientist named Hojo was in charge. He ordered the troops to gather up everyone still alive for the experiment. I didn't know what type of experiment he was talking about, but I wasn't about to let them have my dearest student. Putting you on my back, I headed down the mountain to the village. I used the Cure spell on you many times and started to head to Midgar to look for a doctor for you. I don't like that city, but my Cure spells weren't helping. I decided to go to Midgar to find a doctor I could trust. I'm worried about you, but I can't settle down in one place for long. Have you recovered fully? Are you well? I wonder how many years have passed since then? I just got into town again, but I can't believe it... The whole town is back to normal, except for the strange beings with black clothes all around... The town reeks of Shinra, but I won't go after them. You may think I'm running from them, but it's just that I don't want anything to do with Shinra anymore. Feels like time is running out. I'm sure you'll find this letter. And this gift for you. It should come in handy. I can't even jump anymore. But I hope you continue to sharpen your skills and remember what I taught you. To my most precious student, From Zangan.  
  
He woke Tifa quietly, careful not to wake the rest.  
  
"Hey. what's that over there," he said while pointing to the letter.  
  
"It's from. a friend," she answered.  
  
"Did I know him?" Cloud asked.  
  
"...." Tifa didn't reply.  
  
"Guess not," sneered Cloud.  
  
Tifa decided to ignore the remark and go back asleep. Cloud stood up and read the note once more.  
  
"Going after Sephiroth. Midgar. Why didn't he see me?" he wondered. Cloud drifted asleep, hearing the clanking of Cid and his crew attempting to fix the Highwind from the mainland. 


End file.
